Foot gripper for shoes



June 24, 1941. M, 1 LARKlN 2,246,944

FOOT GRIPPER FOR SHOES Filed J'a'n. 18, 1939 Snventor Gttorneg Patented June 24, 1941 l y 2,246,944 n Foo'r G mrran Fon snoEs Martin `LIarkin, West Hartford, conn., assigner .of one-.half to Francis J. ONe'il, and one-tenth to Helen H. ONeil, both of Hartford, Conn.

' Application January 18, 1939, Serial No. 251,565

' `4' claims. (ci. acs- 1n 'Ihis invention relates to foot grippers for'shoes and has, for an object thereof, the provisionY of means, in a shoe, to prevent. slipping of the foot therein.

A further `object yof the invention is to. provide will, in addition, cause a massaging actionto be applied to. portions of the foot during'walking motion.

A still further obiect is to provide additional means which will furtherprevent. such .slippage and at the same time impart a beneficial effect upon the metatarsal arch of the foot.

`My invention is particularly adapted :for shoes .of the open toe type wherein the toes of the foot `project through an opening in thev toe ofthe shoe.. In Such shoes, it has commonlylzbeen found that, during walking-the footv has a .tendency .to move forward in the shoe and vthus project the toe of the foot; to a point, wherein it is .detrimental to the, appearance and also. cause considerablexdiscomfort.. v

Further objects of my invention will be clearly understood from thefollowing description and from the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of. a shoe embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side View thereof in central vertical section.'

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the foot in relative position of the pads, comprising my invention, with relation to the bones of the foot;v

said bones being illustrated in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, showing one of the gripper pads embodying my invention.

Figure 5 is a side view thereof in central vertical section.

Figure 6 is a plan view, also on an enlarged scale, showing the gripper for the metatarsal portion of the foot.

Figure '7 is a plan view, showing a modified form of my invention.

As illustrated in the drawing, the numeral 5 denotes a shoe having the usual sole 6 and inner sole 6-a. Shoes of the open toe type such as extensively used by women, are open at the toes as shown at 1.

By my invention, I provide a pad 8 which is mounted in the arch 9 of a shoe and in a posi- 'tion where it will rest :under the foot slightly forward of the calcaneum, or heelbone. This pad may be formed of a suitable .grade of rubber material and preferably provided with an air pocket I0 to form a pneumaticv pad in which a vcertain amount` of. air pressure is provided. The said pad lis preferably made ofl two sheets of'rubber cemented, or vulcanized, together along the surrounding portions, or flanges, Il.thereof thus leaving a chamber. within said flanges in' which air is contained at a suitable pressure `for the purpose desired. The .pad may be secured to `thel sole ofthe shoe by cementing the bottom thereof .to the sole, as at I2, and the said pad may also be provided with a groove I3 which lextends partly around said flanges II.r v

Thesaid inner sole is preferably notched, as at III',` ,andV has a portion of the edge of said notch inserted in the said groove I3, of the flanges II, and another portion of the said edge of the notch overlapping said flange, as at I5. .Thus thej foot will :be prevented fromlifting the edges of the padand causing the same. to become loosened or displaced inthe shoe Vwhenthefoot is inserted therein by the movement thereof during walking.

It will be -readily'seen that when the foot is inserted inlthe shoe, the forwardrmotion thereof will ycause it to slide kover the edge of the `inner sole, at the point indicated lat YI5 and again over the edgev of the pad on to theinner sole, at I6, without causing the lifting of any edges of the saidA padaor inner sole. y vAnother similar pad I1, but of a slightly different form, may be used in a, position forward of the pad 8 for the purpose to be hereinafter described. The said pad I1 may also be cemented to the sole of the shoe and project through an aperture I8 in the inner sole.- The edge of said aperture may overlap a portion of the flange of said pad, as illustrated at I9, and the remaining edges of said aperture may t within the groove ZI) which extends for a portion of the distance around the said pad and is formed in a manner similar to the groove I3 in the pad 8. The said pad I1 is also provided with an air pocket 2I having air therein at a desired pressure.

In the modified form illustrated in Figure '7,

' the pads 8 and I'I may both be included in a single member 22 which is preferably formed of two sheets of suitable rubber material cemented together and having two air pockets therein of the same shape as the air pockets in the pads 8 and l1. Where the said member 22 is used, the inner sole is notched, as at 23; the rear edge of said notch overlying the flange 2li-of said member.

The said edge 25 and forward edge 26 of said notch may t within the groove 21 which is formed in said member in the same manner as the groove I3 is formed in the pad 8. The said member 22 may be also applied to the shoe by cementing the bottom thereof to the sole of the shoe.

The operation of my invention, when provided in a shoe, is as follows:

As will be clearly seen from the illustration in Figure 3 `of the drawing, the pad 8 is placed in the shoe in a position where it will engage the iieshy portion of the bottom of the foot, just forward v of the calcaneuin 29. The said pad will, therefore, be .permitted to grip into the bottom of the foot and thus prevent slippingv of the foot, forwardly in the shoe, without causing discomfort to the wearer.

The weight of a person is mostly supported by the calcaneum, or heel bone, of the foot. My invention provides for supporting this portion of the foot solidly in the shoe and over the heel portion thereof. The pad 8 of my invention will extend this'portion of the shoe forming a continuation` thereof which will grip into the sole of the foot to prevent slipping while still permitting the weight of the person to be supported mainly upona solid portion of the shoe. The weight on said padwill tend to force the air therein forwardly. During walking operation, the air in the pad will .be forced from the front towards the rear thereof and vice-versa, thus applying a massaging action to the .bottom of the foot which is greatly beneficial. Further, the said pad, being madeof a suitable rubber material, will grip the foot securely and prevent the front of the foot from slipping forwardly in the shoe and, when my invention is used in shoes of the open toe type, from projecting the toe too far through the opening in the shoe;

The useof the pad I9 may be optional. When said 'pad is used, however, further gripping action will vbe provided on the foot at the point, indicated at 30, which is under the metatarsal arch and slightly forward of the curvature in the matatarsal bones, indicated at `32. Thus, the said pad I9 will'engage the fleshy portion of the foot under the said ycurvature and provide a iirm grip on the foot'without discomfort in the same manner as provided by the pad 8. In addition, a rolling -action will be applied to said pad by the shifting of air therein from one end of the pad to the other which is caused by the motion which is applied to the weight thereon during the operation of walking. This rolling motion will serve to massage that portion of the foot which comprises the metatarsal arch and thereby render a beneficial eiect to said portion.

It is desired to have it understood that my invention is not intended to provide an arch sup- -port but rather to provide suitable means which will grip into the contour of the sole of the foot and at portions thereof where pressure from the pads comprising my invention will be applied to the proper bones of the foot without discomfort. It will further be seen that by my invention I provide a shoe having irregularities in the surface of the sole thereof which will engage the foot in conformity to the bones of said foot and in a manner providing efficient gripping action which will eliminate slippage and elongation of the foot in the shoe Without direct pressure upon said bones.

I claim: v

1. For a shoe comprising a-sole, an inner sole on said sole adapted to support a floot thereon, a pad ada-pted to be secured to said sole and having anA edge portion adapted to extend under the `edge of said inner sole and a groove in a portion of the'edge of said pad adapted to receive the edge of said sole whereby displacementof said pad is prevented by forwardl motion of a foot thereon. '2. A shoe comprising a sole, an inner sole on said sole, a pad and a pneumatic portion in said pad, exposed through a notch in the edge of said inner sole for directlyengaging a portion o'f a foot in said shoe.

3. For a shoe comprising a sole, :an inner sole on said sole', 'a' pad 'secured to the said sole and exposed through'an aperture in said inner sole, said pad having a pneumatic portion and a ange surrounding said portion, a portion of said flange underlying the edge of said aperture in said inner sole and a remaining portion of `said flange overlying the edge of said aperture.

4; A shoe comprising a sole, an inner sole overlying said sole, a pad secured to the said sole and exposed through an opening in said inner sole, the portion' of the edge of said opening towards the rear of said shoe overlying the edge of said pad and the edge of said pad" towards the front of said shoe overlying the edge of said opening, and means providing a pneumatic portion in said pad.

MARTIN J. LARKIN. 

